1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices used for carrying paper goods and the like and more particularly to loose leaf binder devices such as curled finger binders, which retain perforated loose leaves and note book paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Curled finger binders are versatile devices, offering a simple, inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing means for binding of loose leaves, typically note book paper. Such binders allow corporate executives to distribute bound materials during presentations, organizations to disseminate information in booklet form and allow schools and universities to gather information from a wide variety of sources and to literally bind them together, for distribution to students. Such binders allow virtually anyone to create their own book, without resorting to more expensive devices such as three rings binders and the like.
Typically, binders include a spine and overlapping extensions in the shape of curled fingers that are inserted in corresponding rectangular perforations in the leaves to be bound. Conventionally, a separate uncurling tool is needed to separate the normally overlapping curled fingers, to thereby allow the leaves to be bound to be inserted therebetween. Once the sheets are inserted between the separated curled fingers, the uncurling tool is removed, allowing the fingers to insert into their corresponding rectangular perforations in the sheets, to encircle them and to once again overlap. This effectively binds the sheets of paper or other loose leaves together, and provides them with a spine.
Typical of such binders is the binder shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,050 to Scharer, the specification of which is incorporated herewith by reference. This reference shows a perforation machine 10 for creating the rectangular perforations in the loose leaves, and shows a typical binder 44. To separate the curled fingers of the binder, a binder opening tool 90 is used, as shown in FIGS. 6, 6A and 6B, of this reference. Once separated, the sheets of paper may be inserted between the curled fingers. The opening tool 90 is then removed, allowing the fingers to insert into the rectangular perforations created in the loose leaves by the perforation machine 10, to bind the sheets together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,211 to Vercillo, incorporated herewith by reference, also shows a similar curled finger opening tool, wherein a long thin device is inserted within the inside diameter created by the fingers, the proximal section of the tool being wider than its distal section. When the proximal section is pushed or pulled through the curled fingers, the curled fingers are separated by the width of the proximal section of the tool. Sheets of perforated paper may then be inserted between the curled fingers, and the tool removed.
Other means for opening and securing curled finger binders to loose leaves have been proposed. One such is U.S. Pat. No. 2,754,826 to Berberich, the specification of which is incorporated by reference. In this reference, normally separated curled fingers are interlocked with a slide acting like a zipper. By sliding the slide, recesses on the curled fingers cooperate with mating recesses on the spine and snap together.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,916 to Cardellini, incorporated herein by reference, teaches a loose leaf binder formed of two separate half sections joined by a suitably bent metal wire. To close the binder, a slide 12 is longitudinally moved to keep the half rings from separating.
Yet another binder structure was proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,290 to Cardellini, the specification of which is also incorporated by reference, in which cooperating half rings are interconnected, again by wire links. A mating mechanism is located at the free ends of the binder half rings.
All of the above-described devices either require a separate tool to separate the curled fingers or include a separate mechanism to lock two halves of the binder device together. These approaches increase the complexity of the binders, as well as their cost. Additionally, they utilize many components, increasing the likelihood that one of the components will break.
What is needed, therefore, is a binder device that is simple, easy to use and inexpensive. What is also needed, is a binder device which does not require finger opening tools to open the binding. What is also needed is a binder device that does not require metal wires, clasps, slides or the like.